| HOME FOOD FOR RECESS |

Promised myself to make it a point in the year 2024 to wake up as early as 5am daily to prepare home food for the boys' recess because I am more excited about their lunch boxes than they do. Because it's fully from Smiggle! Got them at really steal prices - I'm the cheapo queen right?

But there were some days I still missed the clock and woke up at 6 am instead - our helper already inside the kitchen preparing the meals based on the menu I planned, till I had to inform her to spray water onto me if I still did not wake up by 5.30 am. Hahahaha.

I had a 2 week's meal planned for the boys and brought whatever extra for myself, for my lunch - which ended up as my breakfast instead.

The first week's meal was selected by Lil' Junior from the list I gave him and oh, by the way, 4 out of the 10 meals was planned by him too. Yup! I got the boys involved in every planning now, especially Lil' Junior. He's 10 years old now you know. Learning how to prep his meals on my guidance at times.

DAY 1 - First Day of Primary School for Lil' Precious

Lil' Precious requested for a simple egg sushi with apple slices, which I had to grab from the market the night before - because I forgot to plan their fruits into the meal plans. Dumb me, I know. Always.

Since school starts later for the Primary One's, I had a lot of time making his meal.

Cooked the short-grain Japanese rice and started preparing the rice vinegar mixture. Oh, the smell of the apple cider kills my nose every single time. I substituted the rice wine for apple cider for a halal version by the way.

Got the helper to prepare the egg while I mixed the rice and the vinegar mixture, cooled the rice down before I started to roll the sushi, and got the helper to cut them into small pieces. Hahahaha.

On the sides, I packed some slices of banana cake (from GIANT), apple slices, and chocolate PILLOWS.

DAY 2 - Finally all of them go to school

I was more excited for day two because all of them were finally going to school officially together! No more of Lil' Precious having his beauty sleep!

The boys opted for a Chicken Burger with cheese, lettuce, and egg (though they have their specific requests for their burgers - "I want double patty! I want double cheese! I don't want lettuce!", and so on! Errrghhh! Just for today, because Mummy still ain't working - YET!

On the sides, they have fries, broccoli, apple slices, and mint choco for snacks.

I got those cute little mayo bottles from shopee - an avid shopee buyer!

4 pcs for $1.56 and free shipping since I opted for self-pickup at Pick Lockers. Cool right! The Pick Locker station is just a block away from us.

Once they left for school, I quietly made a burger for myself too. Hahahaha! Hungry and went to sleep again after.

DAY 3 - Quick and Fast Bolognaise

I was ready to head back to work for the first day of 2024 so I opted for a quicker simpler meal to prepare in the morning - Linguine Bolognaise. I learned the recipe from a qualified chef okies! Got drilled a few times learning to make the perfect bolognaise sauce!

At midnight on day two, while everyone was asleep, I was standing in the kitchen all alone, cutting those carrots and onions into small little dice, and defrosting the minced beef.

Started boiling the bolognaise sauce at 12.30 am and let it cook till 2 am - I was bored and continued to check on the sauce every 15 minutes. The house would have burned if I had not checked that last minute because I almost went to sleep after switching off the kitchen lights and fans, lying down on the sofa (waiting for 2.30 am)!

Had to separate the sauces for the elder boys coz their recess time is after 10.45 am (which I do not understand why anymore). Some hotdog on the sides with strawberries and Pola snack. Lil' Baby was complaining when I came home asking why their strawberries do not have a chocolate dip - which I forgot to prepare.

Not the first time I almost burned the house down with my sleepy head though. A few times back when the boys were still cute and babies and we were staying with Mother, I had to boil their milk bottles every weekend and ended up burning all of them up, drying up the wok, and melting the bottles. That was why I had to stock up on lots of milk bottles back then. Thank Kiddy Palace for their affordable price and Pigeon kept sending bottles too!

This was the day I woke up at 6.30 am and the helper already had the meals packed - linguine boiled and everything ready to go.

Rushing for time myself, coz the manager was supposed to fetch me at 7 am, imagine the chaotic morning I had on my first day back to work for the new year!

DAY 4 - Last day of the week

Fried rice with eggs, crab meat, and seaweed chicken to go. Apple slices and chocolate crackers on the side.

A simple meal for a simple Friday!

The boys look forward to their next-day meals now, after two weeks. Kept asking what's their meal for tomorrow and always gave the reply, "Surprise!"

It was not that difficult to prep their meals in the morning - not because we have a helper to help us, but because I always prep the ingredients the night before - easier for the helper to start cooking in case I could not wake up, as always. Even though I ended work late every day, I still enjoy prepping their meals for the next day after they sleep (their nap time now is at 9.30 pm)!

I still remember when we were staying in our rental home, I prepped all the ingredients every week and cooked in the morning as early as 4 am - because we had to take a 1-hour bus ride to school in the morning to arrive by 7 am.

Nope! I did not leave everything to the helper in the household chores. I still wash the clothes, clean the house, clean the kitchen after use, and everything else.

So there you go! More meals coming soon!

Lots of Love,

N.A